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Re: woodcock



Hello Steve and Carolinabirders:

On this past dark and rainy Sunday morning, as Norm Budnitz and I listened for
owls at the Butner Gamelands in northeast Durham (5:45 to 7:00), we were
treated to the peenting and flight displays of 4-5 woodcock. We couldn't see
them, but they were in a nearby field and we could hear them quite well. This
was just before light, probably between 6:30 and 7. The owls were not as
accommodating - we heard none on this count. We got a total of 58 species,
including the Mississippi Kite Norm has already written about, turkey(s) (heard
only), and about 20 snipe. We were pleased to see several red-headed
woodpeckers, both adult and juvenile, as their presence at Butner and other
area locations has been highly variable.

The gamelands have quite a different look now - a great deal more land is under
water than in the past few years.There was only one duck on the beaver pond
(ring-necked), but we got quite a few woodies and mallards in flight during the
count period.

With all best wishes for great birding in 2000,
Carol Williamson
Durham, NC
carolw@sandler-recht.com
steven.shultz@us.pwcglobal.com wrote:

> Last evening was probably the best woodcock watching I've experienced.  One
> or more birds were in flight display continuously from 5:15 to the point I
> went back inside at 5:40.  One little guy seems to have picked a spot to
> display from on the little trail behind the house.  I have seen a bird in
> this spot for three days in a row.  Quite a treat as last year I think we
> only had birds peenting in sight once or twice.  Last night was great in
> that I had birds in sight, either in the air or on the ground,  for the
> majority of the time I was out, not a very common feat in woodcock
> watching!
>
> For anyone who has not had the pleasure to watch one of these aerial
> displays I'll try to describe it:
> First, the woodcock arrives on his selected "stamping ground".  After a few
> preliminary "peent" calls he begins turning in circles issuing a nasal
> "peent" call every few seconds.  At some predetermined (to the woodcock)
> time, the bird leaps into the air making a dry rattling sound.  The rattle
> only lasts a few seconds and is the first audible clue that a display has
> started.  The bird soon starts flying in a broad upward spiral.  During
> this phase the outer feathers on the wings are creating a "whistling" sound
> unlike the initial rattle or the final warble.  The bird spirals us to a
> fair height, many birds fly high enough that they are difficult to see.
> When the "whistle" turns to a "warble" you know the bird has started to
> descend.  The descent is rapid and steep as the bird plummets to earth in a
> seemingly uncontrolled descent, singing all the while.  The birds wings are
> set back and not flapped.  The birds erratic descent and harmonious warble
> stop about 25-50 feet above the ground.  The bird appears like a duck
> preparing to land as he is dumping speed and altitude to land softly near
> the spot where he took off.   After another series of "peent" calls the
> whole process repeats!  And some say the winter months are boring...
>
> Hope your holiday weekend is safe and happy,
> Steve Shultz
> Cary, NC
> ----------------------------------------------------------------
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